Rock Maiden- From the “Humanlandscapes” Portfolio

The Southwest United States is filled with numerous photographic gems, just waiting to be discovered. Some of the best are well known, like Coyote Buttes, Antelope Canyon, etc. These alone are worth planning a trip to this area, but other fabulous places include all of the national parks and recreation areas, as well as the numerous state parks. I will include a variety of places in my images, and to appreciate this area, a number of trips are required. The national parks of special note would include Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce, etc. Some state parks would include the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park as well as Goblin Valley State Park.

The fusion of time and erosion by wind and water creates rock sculptures of sensual and fantastic shapes. The morning or dusk is the best time to capture the true beauty of the colors, dancing and shimmering along the canyon walls and rippling streams. The canyons will envelope you in their arms of silence and the stark and lonely vistas whisper songs of eternity.

“Rock Maiden” was an image taken in the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness in Utah. This is another place the Southwest reveals its history with massive boulders of Jurassic Age Navajo sandstone tossed like a salad in random splendor by titanic forces we can only dream about. The feeling here is both austere and intimate, affording a place for solitude and contemplation.

In this image, the human figure appears both appropriate and out of place in this severe and chaotic environment. We see the earths traumatic birth wounds, fused with its most beautiful and fragile offspring–ourselves. The reality of our own existence become a part of these wounds in the earth’s surface. Like the transformation of the caterpillar to the butterfly, our own history is buried in our earths storied past. These places become more than visual candy, as they feed and restore our own spirit.